Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14

GUS objects throughout the region.
They grow on all islands and on the
outskirts. Their appearance in q
wind-storm is very much like cluster
of inverted umbrellas braced against a
gale. The cypress presents the same
peculiar appearance here as elsewhere.
Its roots bend over, above ground and
water, with an appearance not unlike a
human knee when doubled. These in
Vulnerable projections, appropriately
termed cypress knees" are undoubt-
eddy the elimination of an effort on the
part of nature to propagate new trees.
with the result of producing rudiment-
airy trunks. Button-wood. ash and
other trees are found on the islands,
and intersperse the environing clumps
of woodland. The most dense semi
tropical growth lies between Lake
Okeechobee and the sawgrass. Here is
belt of trees comprising every species
of the region, thickly interlaced with
the vines of gourd, and often forming
solid, almost impenetrable. wall.
As one follows the small streams
feeding the lake. the roots of the vines
and trees gradually conjoin beneath,
and the branches interweave overhead.
until corridor is formed. which at last
terminates abruptly. The vines are
weighted with gourds in profusion.
which are small in size, and look as if
they had been polished at a lapidary.
As one passes south from the lake, the
aquatic jungle is succeeded by a swamp
of custard-apples; then follows a swamp
of warm-pea and scrub willow;
then a swamp of marsh-grass, which
connects with the great domain of
| sawgrass. The warm-pea is remark
able Aquatic plant, somewhat resem-
bling the water-lily. 1t grows thickly
in large ponds. and its roots produce Il
terrible burning and singing sensation
when in contact with the flesh. The
leaves of the warm. pea are often very
large, exceeding one foot in diameter.
The scrub willow grows to height Of
some five feet. The stem is slender,
but the roots grow to enormous size
comparatively. The marsh-grass and
sawgrass greatly resemble each other,
each occupying its own territory. The
sawgrass is high, stiff and cutting.
often exceeding fifteen feet in height.
Whites and Indians alike, in penetrat-
ing glades, find it necessary to take adj
vantage of wind blowing ahead of
them, and burn their way.
The appearance of the middle and
southern Everglades is that of large
inland sea, thickly dotted with islands,
between which the water presents in
Vulnerable rocky projections and a
mass Of floating vegetation. The ISL
ands are the natural home of the cab
bage-palm, wild-fig and custard-appie
trees. The soil OH them is very thin,
composed almost entirely of the debris
of decayed plant life. The islands are
often unstable, having an insecure
foundation of roots: others rest on bed
rock, and can be trusted to remain in
the same place over night. One has to be
careful. however, that the thin soil
crust does not break through and bury
the intruder many feet in soft mud.
Cabbage Island is the most noted in
the region. Here the Indians camp
when crossing the Gladea. Most of
the Islands during flood season are
under water. None of them are large,
or at most contain over three acres.
The further south one travels the
greater the height and size of the trees
become. until in and about the head
waters of Shark river they expand in
to the great forest skirting the Gulf
and Atlantic coasts.
Bird life IN the Everglades is varied
and interesting. Unfortunately the vast
tribes of ducks. curlews and other edi-
BILE birds never migrate. These do not
know what the sound of firearms
means. They can be killed with stick
and often taken in hand. 1t is unfOrt-
innate that they are satisfied with this
secluded country. They fly but little,
and their functions of flight are under
going progress of degeneration.
Their flesh is wormy, soft and unfit to
eat. As illustrative of the doctrine of
natural selection, of course it is
fortunate for them that they are
non-migratory, otherwise they could
become flesh for man and more or less
destroyed. Unmolested as they are in
the middle and southern Glades-there
is is no bird life in the sawgrass section
the numbers of birds of all kinds is
enormous and of great annual increase.
Here are dozen species of herons, the
water-turkey, buzzards, blackbirds and
Others, which literally swarm down on
the trees at night. and make the morn
hideous with the din of cries and flap
of wings. They war little with each
other, as in most localities, but join in
the general extermination of insect
and molluscan life.
The alligator, which has been nearly
exterminated in many localities, exists
in vast numbers in the Everglades and
environs. In many places these ami
mails follow the canoe or other craft